Movie Review: Wrath of the Titans

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Packed with special effects, but will the sequel to Clash of the Titans be a hit or miss?

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s hard out here for a demi-god. Ten years after slaying the Kraken, all that poor Perseus, son of Zeus, wants to do is fish the waters of his ancient Greek seaside village, rock his mullet, cake himself with dirt and be a good single dad to his offspring, Helios. But in Wrath of the Titans, a breakneck, ADD-addled sequel to 2010’s thunderously unimpressive financial cash cow Clash of the Titans, the gods aren’t having any of that. In fact, it appears that the gods must be angry, what with Hades fearing that mere mortals aren’t giving him and his fellow gods the proper respect that they think they deserve. Can insurrection be far behind?

For sword and sandal movie addicts, though, the gods’ uneasiness is a good thing because it propels back into battle the stony-faced Sam Worthington—a guy who always looks up for a bare knuckles bar fight—as the half-man, half-god Perseus. This time, the battle sends back to the underworld’s nether regions Perseus' powerful father Zeus (Liam Neeson) alongside his more battle-ready brothers Poseidon (Danny Huston) and Ares (Oscar nominee Edgar Ramirez, all growly and up to no good).

The frenetic, overpopulated flick also throws some screen time to the terrific Rosamund Pike (in another thankless role) as combative Queen Andromeda and to Billy Nighy, who outright steals the movie having a high old time as quirky weapons maker and fallen god, Hephaestus. Apparently, neither director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle Los Angeles) nor anybody involved in the making of the movie put much trust in character development, mood or tiny moments. Whenever the characters start mouthing off lines from accredited Dan Mazeau and David Johnson, it’s as if someone let the air out of the balloon. Most of the film’s running gets spent on throwing 3D chum in the form of demon-spouting fireballs, a labyrinth, rampaging chimera, a high-flying Pegasus, an angry Cyclops, a battle with Kronos and tons of hot molten lava. So, could an almost inevitable third Titans epic be better than the first or second? Believe that and we’ve got another myth to sell you.